Blossom and Wilt
by QueenSpicyTea
Summary: Now known as Zipporah, the young girl faces the biggest challenge for most girls in Gatlin now- being picked as a bride. She'll have to pick between family and freedom when everyone's favorite Outlanders arrive. IsaacOC, one-sided MalachiOC. SEQUEL UP NOW.
1. Chapter 1

My siblings and I- Dinah, Abigail, Zipporah (Who would be me), Joshua and Isaiah as we are now known as- used to live a very average life. We lived on a farm outside of Gatlin, and only went in Saturdays and Sundays for shopping and church. But the Sunday of the massacre I wish we hadn't gone in. They killed Abigail was stabbed because she was nineteen, the age where we had to die; Isaiah was crucified in the cornfield because even after going to the corn he openly defied the occult. That left just Dinah, Joshua and I, with me now the oldest at twelve, Joshua at ten, and Dinah at nine.

The next day, in what had been a good church a set of rules were posted. They were guidelines for our new lives. We had to harvest all the crops from our family's farm for the cult. The biggest one though was we were to marry near fourteen. I didn't get it totally at the time, but since we would die at nineteen now, I suppose any other way would have the cult die out.

A lot of girls wondered if Isaac or Malachi would pick this year.

* * *

I didn't like living so far in town. Me and my siblings were currently living to close to the church for comfort. Most of the houses were near here though. They had been redivided. A household now composed of two or three, maybe even four families. Each family got a bedroom or two, and that was it. Bathrooms, kitchens and such were shared. Since our house was relatively small, two stories but only two bedrooms and they were upstairs, we only housed two families. My best friend who was my age, Rahab, lived in the house with me, and she had an older brother at sixteen named Zachariah. They also had Zachariah's wife, Jael.

"Are you excited for tonight, Zipporah?" Rahab asked me as I entered the kitchen. Mine was more nerves, but I was excited none the less. This was the night all thirteen year olds turning fourteen in this half of the year were to be pledged to a man to wed. We were in this half, and our day of marriage would be June 24, a month from the day of choosing.

"A bit..." I trailed off. She knew who I really liked, and I her. She hoped to marry Malachi, though he hadn't chosen anyone since he was eligible to choose at twelve. Rahab alone was allowed knowledge that I liked Isaac Chroner.

She only grinned in response. I made sure Dinah and Joshua were fed. Over breakfast we talked of Jael. She was most of us wives-to-be role model. I tried not to like anything to do with the cult, but Jael made it hard. She was very pretty, and a lovely wife. She was expecting her first child, and was giving and kind.

It was ten in the morning by then, and we were to be (hopefully) chosen at noon. You wanted to get chosen. Not being chosen meant going down next year with mainly thirteen year olds to hopefully be wed. I tied my red hair, which I usually wore down, into a ponytail at Rahab's suggestion ("It'll show those big blue eyes of yours off!").It also showed the freckles that were on my nose and cheeks. After pulling on my best Sunday green dress I braided Rahab's brown hair for her, though with the poofy curls of her hair I encouraged her to leave it down.

So we went off to the clearing in the cornfield.


	2. Chapter 2

The clearing was full of girls. A few other girls I knew were there. I had no idea what to expect, really, until the guys came over.

The town of Gatlin has always been a small one, so I knew most of the guys.

I felt horrible for Rahab, because Malachi didn't choose again this year. I went to hug her but a hand that claimed me stopped me. I turned to see Isaac.

I was a bit surprised. He was very devoted to He Who Walks Behind the Rows, I figured he'd never take a wife. But apparently he would. I was too nervous to ask questions, but along with all the other picked girls, I was lead home.

* * *

The next morning was much to quiet for comfort. No matter how much I'd say to Rahab, she'd say very little back. I could tell she was disappointed about herself not being chosen by Malachi. I now doubted Malachi would ever pick. With typical southern belle curls and green eyes Rahab was rather pretty, I thought.

Dinah excitedly ran up to me. "Zipporah! I heard you got chosen!" Being a couple of years younger than me when this all happened, Dinah and Joshua never minded cult life.

"Yes, Dinah. By Isaac." She let out a giggle when I told her and was off to play with her friends

* * *

The month passed by quickly, and Rahab seemed to recover. We were all married in a night time ceremony at the cornfield, same day. So I was now the wife of Isaac Chroner.

The next day I was living with him. Away from Joshua and Dinah and Rahab and Zachariah and Jael. Isaac came up behind me as I was about to go out. "Zipporah. You seem distressed. He Who Walks Behind the Rows told me you would be, for your family has been previously your house hold." He seemed to see I was still tensed. He hadn't offered any words of comfort. "He Who Walks Behind the Rows moved me toward you Zipporah. Go into the church until you feel better." I did. I suppose that being so close to the leader of Gatlin made me feel more like a member of the cult.

Then I got pregnant.

You're surprised? My fourteenth birthday had passed by this time with little celebration. If you can recall we are taken by He Who Walks Behind the Rows at nineteen. All this was a bit rushed.

And after about nine months, I had two twins on my hands, Miriam and Hezekiah.


	3. Chapter 3

My twins were still very little when Vicky and Burt came, just a few months. Jael had had her baby, a little boy named Habakkuk.

I wasn't expecting them until Isaac told us in the clearing. I was with Sarah when Vicky came, because Dinah wanted me to take her over. I brought Miriam and Hezekiah.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" I said, sure I sounded cold.

"I was wondering where the grown ups are." She asked. "Can you girls tell me?"

"They're in the cornfield." I answered.

Vicky looked at me puzzled. "Why?" She asked, a bit confused.

"Isaac put them there. He's our leader." Sarah answered. I looked at her.

"Sarah, Isaac won't like us telling them all this." I scolded.

Sarah sighed a bit huffy. "Zipporah only listens to Isaac because she's his wife."

Vicky gasped ever so slightly. "But you're only... You're so young."

"It's how things are done around here. I simply adapted. Isaac's only my age." I shrugged. "Yes, I am Zipporah. This is Sarah, the other girl is Dinah, my sister. The little ones are my twins Hezekiah and Miriam."

Seeing Malachai and the boys drag her out scared the twins. I comforted Miriam and Hezekiah, and took them home.


	4. Chapter 4

I was getting very upset at Isaac. I liked him, I always have. But he seemed to be putting the cult he made in more danger than good. I came to him in the church.

"Isaac. You're scaring the younger children, Dinah, Miriam, Hezekiah, Sarah-" He cut me off.

"Sarah and her bloodline are not under my protection, for they have denied Him and are not his children."

I sighed, exasperated with his logical tone. "Isaac, why can't you just let them pass through...?"

He turned to me, his eyes looking full of those murderous thoughts I'm sure he'd been thinking of. "Do yu truly wish to know?"

I nodded.

He began. "Anyone who enters Gatlin is His property. While they deny Him, Sarah and Job are still under the age so they may not be killed. However, adult Outlanders are the only ones that come through. So they are killed. There are never any children with them to convert, Zipporah."

I gave him a look of disapproval, but said nothing, this church was He Who Walks Behind the Rows's now. I couldn't speak out against that entity's words here. So I left.

In that instant I realized that I shouldn't love Isaac. If he hadn't come, this satanic god we'd been fooled into worshiping wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have to raise two kids already. I would be free.

And so, I decided that I was going to get out of Gatlin with my children.


	5. Chapter 5

Things happened very quickly, and they ended up believing they killed He Who Walks Behind the Rows.

It looked like Miriam got caught in the fire though.

I screamed. Very loud. Her father was presumed dead- which is another story entirely on what that presumed means- but it looked like my daughter was gone. I couldn't see her. It looked like He Who Walks Behind the Rows had taken her.

But I had to make a decision for the child I knew alive. Hezekiah. And my decision was to keep him safe from this cult. So, I left, with Burt, Vicky, Sarah, and Job.

But if I'd stuck around, I might have seen Rahab searching for my child. She'd left them alone, and she felt like it was her fault Miriam was dead. So she looked. But my back was turned.

She was unwed.

She had no children.

If I had stayed a bit longer maybe I would have known what lies Rahab would tell my daughter of me. How she would distort my baby girl's reality. But I thought her dead, and still had Hezekiah to watch.

So she didn't call out to my turned back. Instead, she decided to raise Miriam.

And now, as I am gone, I believe it is my daughter's turn to tell a tale that occurred in Hemmingford.

* * *

**A/N: So, yes, as the ending suggested, there will be a sequel. I cannot really write from male perspective well though most of my friends are guys. So I plan on doing one for every movie following the story line of the movie, going down the family line of Zipporah and Isaac. Not to say Zipporah won't return, now! So, yes, the next story will focus mostly on Miriam, and of course as I said "family line" she'll be shipped with someone too! Thank you all for your kind reviews!**


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